Test Methodology

Benchmark Reviews has pitted the new Intel Atom 330 Motherboard/CPU combo against two last generation laptops and a low end Core 2 Duo machine in order to present the feasibility of an upgrade. The last generation laptops represent current HTPC configurations as well as the basic family internet/homework computer. Since the Atom 330 is intended for systems under $300, this provides a good look at how it compares to machines whose job it will be competing for; and at a fraction of the cost.

Intel Atom Processors

In the chart assembled below, Benchmark Reviews has organized the various Intel Atom processors released as of July 2009 for comparison. The NVIDIA ION is the only platform which supports EM64T instructions, for 64-bit Operating System compatibility, a feature that will prove invaluable with the upcoming Microsoft Windows 7 O/S release.

Testing Software

PassMark PerformanceTest v7.0 - A PassMark score is a benchmark of your CPU performance across a variety of common tests such as a math integer test, a compression test, a prime number test, an encryption test, a floating point math test, and a SSE/3DNOW test.

SiSoftware SANDRA - System ANalyser, Diagnostic and Reporting Assistant, is an information and diagnostic utility that provides most of the information you need to know about your hardware or software.